Review: Villa Bulung Daya in Antap, Bali

Villa Bulung Daya is located in Antap, a small village in the Tabanan Regency area of Bali. I had booked the villa through Airbnb and redeemed Barclay Arrival Miles for a 3-night stay. The Villa’s price has since gone up, but it was a great deal at the time. I wanted to spend a few nights away from Bali’s touristy areas and this place fit the bill.

Here’s my full review of Villa Bulung Daya in Antap, Bali:

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Getting to Antap, bali

Villa Bulung Daya is in Antap, a 1.5-hour drive from the airport, which actually goes by very fast. The property is staffed and includes a 4-passenger car and driver. Since there were five of us, we arranged for our own transportation through Made, who came highly recommended on Flyertalk.

He met us just outside the terminal and took us into the parking garage, where his car was parked.

Arriving at the villa

Upon arriving at Villa Bulung Daya, the entire staff immediately greeted us, handing us wet towels and lemonade served in carved-out cucumbers. We got settled in before taking a quick tour of the place. Villa Bulung Daya is largely surrounded by rice fields, and you have to drive a mile before seeing any other homes.

This level of seclusion may not be for everyone, but I found it very peaceful and relaxing. The villa is so remote that when we arrived in Antap, a local resident guided our car through the rice fields on his motorcycle.

The master bedroom

The villa consists of four structures. As you walk down the steps from the entrance gate, you’ll see one structure to the left, containing the master bedroom and bathroom. Across the shallow decorative pool is the living room, dining room, and a second bedroom with a bathroom.

Behind that is a small outpost, where the staff spent most of their time. It’s attached to an apartment where the butler, Gede, and his wife, Putu, live. When we needed anything, a knock on the door was sufficient for getting someone’s attention.

The bathrooms were stocked with plenty of towels. All liquids (shampoo, soap, body wash) were stored in refillable ceramic containers.

The living room

We spent most of our time in the living room. It had great views of the ocean (including some amazing sunsets). There were also books and board games to keep us entertained. I seem to have lost all the photos of the second bedroom, so I suggest you check out the Villa Bulung Daya website for more comprehensive photos.

Both bedrooms were spacious and offered beautiful ocean views. Outside the bedroom, there was a nice seating area, perfect for enjoying the sunset.

The pool house

A third bedroom was set up in the pool house downstairs, which is where my brother stayed. It contained a separate bathroom with a sofa bed, shower, gym, and movie theater. We never got around to using the theater, but it was stocked with lots of DVDs.

The 100-foot pool

The pool at Villa Bulung Daya was massive at 100 feet long. I want to say it was the same length as the Conrad Suites pool outside of RIN, or at least it seemed that way. This was a saltwater pool, so despite the fact that I spent a great deal of time swimming laps in it, neither my hair nor my skin got dry and agitated. 

The beach at Villa Bulung Daya

Past the villa’s pool, there is a walkway leading down to the black sand beach. Walking down the steps, you can sometimes see cows nearby, living the good life, just hanging out in the fields or on the actual beach!

The beach was mostly deserted. Occasionally, we’d see fishermen out there on boats or local children playing in the sand.

Note that the water is rough and not suitable for swimming (hence the 100-foot pool). However, it was still very nice and peaceful to walk around the beach completely undisturbed, with nothing but the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.

The staff at Villa Bulung Daya

Villa Bulung Daya was staffed by four people: Gusti (the manager), Putu (the housekeeper), Made (the gardner/maintenance guy), and Gede (the butler). The staff was accessible when we needed them and great about giving us our space.

Gede was a true pro with a great eye for detail. When we were at the pool, he would drop off bottled water and towels. At meal times, he would come by and explain what was being served (which was particularly useful on the last night, when a local dinner was prepared).

Putu provided a very nice turndown service every night and did a great job of doing our laundry and returning it to us quickly. However, maintenance could have been done better. There were two incidents that nobody told me about until after we left.

My mom said there were mouse droppings in the drawers of the master bedroom. My brother reported that while he was in the shower on the first morning, a rat (not a mouse) crawled out of a space around the drain. I understand this property is surrounded by nature, but rodents carry diseases and if hotels can manage to keep them at bay, there’s no excuse for a rental property to fall behind in that regard.

There was also the matter of the house manager, Gusti, who made repeated inappropriate remarks to us about the 2005 Bali bombings. Among various conspiracy theories involving the Malaysian government, he at one point said, “the bombers came from your country [Afghanistan]” which is untrue and offensive.

After that, interacting with him was uncomfortable at best, since he seemed to be harboring animosity veiled in an overly friendly demeanor. 

The food at Villa Bulung Daya

Guests staying at Villa Bulung Daya have an extensive menu to choose from, consisting of both Indonesian and Western options. Breakfast is free for all guests and includes a main egg dish, fruits, cereal, and bread. Food portions were always generous. We mixed it up during our three-night stay, but the food was always a bit bland.

I don’t know if this was because of the many food restrictions I reported (including overly spicy foods, which my dad can’t have). But after a while, eating became a chore.

The table was always beautifully set and the desserts were phenomenal. But other than that, it got boring fast. Plus, it didn’t help that we were all required to order the same thing for each meal.

Afternoon tea and coffe

In the afternoon, Gede would come by to offer us tea or coffee, which we always took him up on. My parents are total tea snobs – they only drink loose-leaf tea purchased from Afghan grocery stores. To my surprise, they really enjoyed the tea served at Villa Bulung Daya.

My mom, assuming it was some locally sourced tea, asked the staff where she could buy it. They brought the box and I nearly died when I saw that it wasn’t some exotic brand but Twinings green tea with artificial lemon flavor.

Bali’s finest coffee

The coffee served at Villa Bulung Daya was the most rich, delicious coffee I’ve ever had. Compared to the burnt, acidic coffee served at Starbucks, this stuff tasted like (highly) caffeinated hot chocolate.

Gusto took us to the local market, where we stocked up on coffee. Since returning from my trip in August, I haven’t been to Starbucks much – I mostly just drink the coffee we brought back.

Final thoughts

A few issues aside, we had a great time at Villa Bulung Daya. Would I return to this place? Probably not. I prefer the convenience of resorts, both in terms of amenities offered and a higher standard of cleanliness.

We moved to the Conrad Bali afterward and had a wonderful experience. The resort offered many of the amenities you’d expect from a villa rental and beyond: A pool suite, a separate hotel wing for suites (providing a boutique vibe), complimentary laundry service for Hilton Diamond members and a lounge with complimentary food and drinks.

It was nice to have more dining options and access to a spa. Plus, we eventually got upgraded to the penthouse suite, which had a private infinity pool. It wasn’t 100 feet tall but the addition of other amenities made it a more pleasant experience.

Stories from my trip to Asia

• How I booked a $90,000 trip to Singapore, Bali, and Hong Kong for less than $1,500 out of pocket
• Cathay Pacific business class lounge SFO
• Cathay Pacific business class SFO-HKG
• Cathay Pacific business class HKG-SIN
• Dragonair business class lounge Hong Kong Airport
• Grand Hyatt Singapore review
• Garuda Indonesia economy class Singapore to Bali
• Conrad Bali club lounge, restaurants and Jiwa Spa review
• Conrad Bali Penthouse suite review
• Cathay Pacific economy class Bali to Hong Kong
• Grand Hyatt Hong Kong review
• Cathay Pacific The Pier first class lounge at Hong Kong Airport
• Cathay Pacific first class Hong Kong to San Francisco